Car for amusement rides



1 t T R e N 0 m g n s N .A .2 .....l, 5

s B E D v I5 Rwy G R .0 H F 0 Aug. 24 1926.

HIS A TT RNEY Aug. 24 1926.

H. G. TRAVER CAR FOR AMUSEMENT RIDE? Filed 001:. 21'. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. 24, 192.6.

HARRY G. TRAVER, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR FOR AMUSEMENT RIDES.

Application filed. October 21, 1925. Serial No. 63,915.

This invention relates to amusement rides, such as scenic railways and roller coasters, wherein passenger carrying cars are elevated to a point from which they are propelled by gravity; although the invention is applicable to other amusement rides of this character. In rides of this character it is customary to utilize cars without any provision of means to prevent passengers from standing up or attempting to leave the car while it is in motion and a consequent liability of falling out of the cars invariably resulting in serious injury.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a safety device for cars of this character that will prevent passengers from rising from the car seat while the car is in motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a safety device which is automatically releasable and permits passengers to leave and enter the car at a predetermined point along the ride, such as at the loading or unloading station of the ride where the car will come to a stop.

- In an amusement ride of this character the passenger carrying car is arranged with transverse seats, usually one, the safety device comprising a lap rail of U-shape ad justably supported by the car and arranged to extend over the lap of the passengers when adjusted to one position, a'latch co operating with the rail in such position to lock the same against movement in a direction away from the car, and stop means being provided to limit the movement of the rail in a direction toward the seat. The latch is held in its rail locking position by its own weight and under the tension of a spring. At the point of loading and unloading of passengers from the car the track structure upon which the car is propelled is arranged with a cam rail extending in the direction of the movement of the car, the latch being arranged with a cam following shoe which comes into contact with the cam rail thereby moving the latch out of engagement with and releasing the lap rail whereby the rail may be moved forward away from the seat to permit passengers to leave or enter the cars. The cars of amusement rides of this character travel at a high rate of speed and the curves in the track are banked to iiisure proper traction between the "wheels of the car and the track, and should any passenger be standing while rounding one of these curves the passenger will be thrown out withpossible serious injury. This safety device prevents the possibility of a passenger assuming a standing position and a resultant accident while the car is in motion is obviated.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a passenger carrying car showing the arrangement of a lap rail and a co-operating latch locking means for retaining said rail in the full line position, and a cam rail carried by the track for contact with a cam following portion carried by the latch to release the latch from the lap rail so that the lap rail may be moved into the dotted line position; anc

Figure 2 is an end elevational view looking at the rear of the car shown in dot and dash lines to clearly bring out the invention and co-operating latch locking means being omitted at one side of the car.

In carrying out the embodiment of the in vention, there is provided a passenger carrying car 3 arranged with a single trans verse seat 4: and supported by wheels to have traction on a track 5 supported in the usual manner upon the structure of the ride, as at 6.- The body of the car is provided with enclosing walls forming the back and sides, supported by brackets 7, with the front of the car open and the bottom below the level of the track forming a foot pan, as at 8. A rod 9 of U-shap'e is arranged as a front enclosure for the car, and herein termed as a lap rail with a portion of the c'onnectingmeinber 1O bent at right angles to itself, as at 11, for the purpose of fitting into and snugly over the laps of the passengers and holding the passengers in a seated position, is mounted in socket members 12 pivotally supported between the sides of a U-shape bracket 13 fixed to each side of the car frame, as shown at 14, by a bolt 15. To limit the movement of the lap rail over the laps of the passengers a stop 16 is mounted on the side walls of th'e ca'r for engagement by theend portions 17 of the connecting member 10. Latch members is-are pivetaliy suppers-ea ofntheilatch 19 the movement of the "latch by: the spring beingflimitedi bysthe' bolt :head .28 engaging :at the underside ot'ethe shelf 27. Thespring providesa tensioning force upon the latch against the nose projection "22 to retain :the lapxrail ,in passenger securing position. v

Asthere is no possible waysfor the passengers to leave the car :whenthe'laprailis :in vposition ;in front of the passengers and the projection 22 and latch 119: arein engageamen t means are provided to :release I the contact Eb'etween-the shoulder 21 and the inner faceof-ithe projectiom22; Forithis purpose .-a -cam:rai1 2-9 is carried by theltrack-support, as shownxat'x29, extending in-Jthe direction of (travel of the car and of gradual slope be ginning with a bevel face 30 and ending withaflatsurf-ace '3 liat:the high point par- .allel with the track. Asithe .cal approaches 'theloadingstation .the cam shoe 23 engages the bevel face and ;follows the .cam rail till it reaches'the flatportion31afterwhich itdrops back to its normal position shown in full lines in Figure -l-by itsown-weight and the action of the spring2t. The cam shoe by the rise .ofithe cam rail lowers-the front end of the latch 19, I and the shoulder 21 is :moved .out of contaet with the inner face oft-he projeetion22. Someplay is pro vided for between shoulder and :the ;;projection-so as. to aid the disengagement votthe iflnoplay was desired.

n The portion of the alatch between the shoulder 21 and ithe zpivotal'support'of the latch isarrangedwith curved face 32 which V i co-roperates with-the rail. carriers-to limit the forward A movement of the lap rail ;;as shown ;in .dotted lines in Figure :1. g

The car "is stopped before %the cam shoe yhaspassed the high portion 31of-the-eam rail so ;that :the lap rail can be moved -forward -to a dotted line ;position in 'Figure ;1 ,to

' permit the passengers to leave or ;enter (the car. (Beyond the stopping station the cam iraili'slopes in a downwardidirectionito meet the track in ithe same 1nanner r-as ,-,it begins its upward rise so z'that -the'lap ,r-ail :can be moved back adjacent the seat eitheribefore .i the --starting of gthe car or ust .after (it has started, as the movement of the cam shoe back to its normal position is gradual.

Having thus described .my invention I claim:

1.111 a passenger carrying car arranged with ,a seat ior amusement rides a lap rail pivotally supported'by the car comprising a vU- sh-aped bar having a part of the connecting member bent to extend between the :sides and into :the interior of the car to snugly fit over the lap of the passenger and szthe portions of :the .connecting rmeinber at opposite. ends of saidsextended 1DQ1'tI5LdQ1JtGd to engage stops on the sides ot,the car :to

limit :the :movement of :the irail toward the .ear seat, and :means-tto :releasably retain the rail 111 said :latter apOSltlOIl.

In amusement rides, the combination .ota passenger. carrying car-arranged with a seat and :a strack, t-lap rail :pivotally supported by :the :car arranged to be positioned :inlront ofgpassengers-seated:inthe car a stop carrie d 'by theear body to limit the movement of the rail in a direction toward the :car seat'anid retain a passenger seated in the car,,spring actuated:latches pivotally carried :by the ear arranged with a -.cam shoe, :the ends of :the rails ;at :the -point of connection with the car being arranged for engagement 'with lthe wlatches -to lock the rail Jill :pa-ssenger retaining position, 1 and means :carried :by .the track tor'contact with the :front of and 1 adjacent to the seat, a latch to retaini'thezlap rail :in saidposition, said :latoh being arranged With-an integral cam following portion,-and.-a cam rail carried by the-track structure "for engagement Joy the cam following ,portion of [the latch to .release the ilatch from ,the lap rail for the purpose specified.

two by having the step back qfurther than I 4. In .;passenger carrying cars for I amuse- -ment arides "arranged with a seat,- a lap rail ;pi votally supported vatone endlby the car arranged to be ;positioned in front-of ;,pas-

zsengers seated in the-car, a stopcarried'by the car 'for engagement with the rail intermediate ;the' ends tlllGOf to dimit the move- 5. LIn amusement rides, the combination ,of pa-ssen-ger .earrying car arranged with a seat and ,a track, a lap rail of -;U-shape form pivotally supported at the ends by the car ha ing a extended ipo n, a -la pivotally supported by the car arranged with a notch in the front face for engagement with the extended portion, and a cam following portion at the rear thereofand a cam rail carried by the track for engagement with the cam following portion of the latch to release the same from the lap rail to permit the lap rail to be moved forward.

6. In a passenger carrying car for amusement rides, a rail of U-shape form pivotally supported at its ends at opposite sides of the car body, stops at the sides of the car for engagement by the rail intermediate the ends thereof for limiting the movement of the rail toward a seat in the car; a latch pivotally supported by the car having a notch in the front face thereof for engagement with an end of the rail, a shelf extending from the side thereof, a spring confined between the car and the latch shelf for insuring contact between the latch notch and the end of the rail and locking the rail in position over the seat of the car.

7 In a passenger carrying car arranged with a seat for an amusement ride, a rail of U-shape form pivotally supported in brackets mounted on the sides of the car with the ends projecting beyond said brackets, a stop mounted on the sides of the seat in position for engagement by the rail, a latch pivotally supported by the -rail supporting bracket having a notch in the front face thereof and a cam following portion in the rear, the weight of the cam following portion positioning the notch for engagement by the projecting rail end for rethereof by brackets mounted on the sides of the car with the ends projecting beyond the brackets, a latch eccentrically supported by a rail bracket having a notch in the front face thereof and a cam following portion in the rear thereof for over-balancing the notched end for positioning the same for engagement by the end of the lap rail for releasably securing the lap rail in position over the seat.

9. In amusement rides, the: combination of a passenger carrying car arranged with a seat and a track, a lap rail of U-shape pivotally supported at the ends thereof by brackets mounted on the sides of the car with the ends projecting beyond the brackets, a latch eccentrically mounted on the rail brackets having a notch in the front face thereof and a cam following portion in the rear thereof for over-balancing the notched end and moving it in position for engagement by an end of the lap rail for securing the lap rail in position over the seat, and a cam rail carried by the track for engagement by the cam following portion of the latch to release the latch from the lap rail and permit the said rail to be moved forward of the seat. 7

In testimony whereof he affixed his signature.

HARRY G. TRAVER. 

